Toy machine gun



J. B. VAN DOREN.

TOY MACHINE cum APPLICATION FILED DEC-6, I919,

Patened July 11, 1922.

lnvehTor. John B'Vom Daren b amz M&W

A iTys.

e a a n or erases JOHN B. VAN DOREN, OF ROCKLAND, I/IASSACHUSIJTTS, ASSIGNOE TO THE NATIONAL FIREWORKS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WEST HANOVER, MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION OE ARIZONA.

TOY IMAGE-IINE GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July iii, 31922.

Application filed. December 6, 1919. Serial No. 342,970.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN B. VAN Down a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rockland, county of Plymouth, State of lllassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Toy Machine Guns, of which the following description, in connection with. the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in pyrotechnical toys and the object thereof is to produce a pyrotechnical toy, preferably in the form of a machine gun, adapted to explode successively a series of caps, or patches of fulminate, upon a flexible. strip of ma terial which can be safely used by children and which when fired will simulate the action of a machine gun.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pyrotechnical toy in whicha fulminate bearing strip will be fed upwardly to the mechanism for exploding fulminate in such a manner that the debris caused by the explosion will fly downwardly and consequently will. not be likely to injure the face of the child operating the same.

A further feature of the invention consists in the provision of a protecting device which will prevent the feeding of the fulminate bearing strip downwardly and will also serve as a further protection against the flying of the debris from the explosion "r imm lilll upwardly. I

A. further object of the invention is to provide means for exploding successively a series of caps, or patches of fulminate, upon a strip, comprising a pair of rollers which are forced toward each other by resilient means of suflicient strength to cause the rollers to explode the fulminate, and which will produce a more uniform feeding action than in devices heretofore produced, said resilient mechanism having a further function of maintaining proper co-operation be tween the rollers notwithstanding any wear which may occur in the journals of said rollers.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

The drawing illustrates my invention as embodied in a toy in the form of a machine gun. i

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine gun toy embodying my invention.

Fig. Qis a plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, median sectional View through the breech mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View through the breech mechanism, the rollers being shown in elevation.v

The present invention comprises certain mprovement-s upon the mechanism disclosed 1n my prior Patent No. 1,089,166, granted March 3, 1914;.

As iilustrated in the accompanying drawing the machine gun toy comprises a barrel 1 which is fixedly secured to a stand or block 2 which is pivotally mounted upon a top 3 of a standard in the form of a tripod having legs 4:, the stand 2 being secured to the top 3 by a screw 5 passing through a suitable aperture in the top 3 and anchored in the stand2. A handle 6 desirably is secured to the stand 2 to enable the barrel of the gun to be swung about its pivot in simulation of the swinging movement of an autdmatic machine gun.

The breech mechanism comprises a frame 7 which may be a strip of fiat sheetmetal bent into a U-shaped form and attached at its ends to the stand 2 by suitable screws or other fasteners.

The mechanism for exploding the caps or patches of fulminate carried by a strip of flexible material comprises a pair of rollers journalled in the frame 7. As illustrated.

herein one of the rollers 8 preferably is formed of steel and corrugated throughout the strip engaging portion and is provided with smooth, preferably reduced end portions 9 and 10 which are journaled in suitable apertures in frame 7. A. handle preferably in the form of a crank 11 is secured to one of the reduced end portions 10 of the roller. The co-operating roller 12 desirably is of larger diameter than the driving roller 8 and preferably is formed of a relatively soft material such as Babbitt metal so that the engagement of the corrugation of the surface of the soft metal roller Wlll cause a positive driving action between said rollers and eventually will make corrugations in the driven roller.

The driven roller 12 desirably is provided with a central shaft 13 which may be of steel about which the Babbitt metal is cast, a suitable recess or notch being formed in the shaft 13 to enable the Babbitt metal to be firmly secured to the shaft. The shaft 13 of the co-operating driven roller 12 desirably is mounted in slots 14 in the frame so that it may be moved toward and from the driving roller 8. In order to force the roller 12 into co-operating relation with the driving roller resilient means are provided which bear upon the shaft of said driven roller. A convenient mechanism which is illustrated herein comprises a yoke 15 the ends of which engage the shaft 13 of the roller and the transverse portion of which is provided with a stud 16 passing through a suitable aperture in the transverse portion 17 of the U-shaped frame 7. A helical spring 18 surrounding the stud 16 and abutting at its ends against the transverse portion of the yoke 15, and the transverse portion 17 of the frame 7, tends to force the roller 12 toward the driving roller 8. The caps or fulminate strip are fed in succession between said rollers, while the rollers are rotated by means of the crank 11. Preferably, the caps or fulminate patches are carried by a strip 19 of flexible material which is fed upwardly from beneath between the rollers 8 and 12, so that the pressure between the rollers willexplode the cap or patch as the same enters between the rollers, and the debris formed by the explosion will be thrown downwardly so as not to injure the face of the child operating the toy.

In order to prevent the caps or fulminate strip being fed downwardly between the rollers, in which case the debris of the explosion would fly upwardly, aprotecting shield '20 is provided which may be conveniently secured by rivets 21 to the transverse portion 17 of the frame. The protecting shield desirably is provided with flanges 22 which preferably lie within the side walls of the U-shaped frame and serve to prevent any of the debris from flying laterally from the breech mechanism.

In the operation of the device the end of the strip of fulminate is inserted upwardly from beneath between the rollers 8 and 12, and the crank 11 rotated at a desirable speed. \Vhen the strip is thus inserted from beneath, the strip will be fed only when the handle is turned in such a direction as to raise the strip upwardly so that the pressure between the rollers will cause the patches of fulminate to be fired as they enter between the rollers, thereby projecting the debris downwardly. By providing resilient means for pressing the rollers toward each other a positive feeding action upon the strip is at all times maintained, and the rollers maintained in proper cooperating relation to each other notwithstanding any wear which may occur in the bearing of the driving roller, or in the yoke which engages the shaft of the co-operating driven roller.

If by chance any patch is not exploded until it has passed partly through the rollers, any dbriswhich may fiy upwardly will strike the protecting plate 20 and deflect downwardly, thereby preventing any possibility of injury to the face or eyes of the user.

lVhile I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to a toy of the machine gun type, it will be understood that it may be embodied in other forms of toys within the meaning and scope of the following claims, and that the invention contemplates more broadly a pyro-' technical device comprising a pair of rotatable members adapted to explode a series of caps or patches of fulminate upona strip in which the members are moved relatively to each other, and which desirably are held in co-operative relation by resilient means.

It will also be understood that various changes in construction may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,- is: r

1. A pyrotechnical toy for exploding successively a series of fulminate caps or patches of fulminate carried by a strip,

comprising a plurality of juxtaposed ro tatable rollers adapted to receive the fulminate bearing strip between them, means for rotating one of said rollers and resilient means for forcing said rollers towards each other with suflicient pressure to explode said caps successively as they pass between said rollers.

2. A pyrotechnical toy for exploding successively a series of fulminate caps, or patches of fulminate, carried by a strip, com prising a plurality of juxtaposed rotatable rollers of different diameters, adapted to receive the fulminate bearing strip between them, one of said rollers being corrugated and the other roller of relatively soft metal whereby the engagement of the corrugations with the relatively soft material will produce' a positive driving action of one roller from the other.

3. A toy machine gun comprising a tripod, a stand swivelled upon said tripod, a barrel secured to said stand, a breech mechanism for exploding successively a series of fulminate caps, or patches of fulminate, carried by a strip, comprising a pair of juxtaposed rota'table members adapted to receive the strip therebetween, and rotatable ina direction to feed the fulminate bearing strip upwardly, resilient means for forcing said rollers toward each other with sufficient pressure to explode said caps successively as they pass between said rollers and a shield over-lying said rotatable members adapted to prevent the feeding of fulminate strip downwardly between said rollers and acting to prevent the dbris caused by the explosion from flying upwardly above the toy.

4. A toy machine gun comprising a stand,

a barrel, a breech mechanism comprising a frame, and a driving roller journalled in said frame and provided with a handle, and a co-operating roller having a shaft slidably journalled in said frame and movable toward and from said driving roller, engaging the shaft of said co-operating roller, and resilient means interposed between said frame and said yoke tending to force said (so-operating roller toward said driving roller.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN B. VAN DOREN.

a yoke 

